Are you missing a single tooth or perhaps you have multiple single tooth gaps?

In this case, we may be able to provide an implant and a porcelain crown which closely resembles a natural tooth. The crown is fixed to the implant and you can floss on both sides and brush it just as you would a natural tooth!

Conventional bridgework involves a number of porcelain teeth ‘joined together’ which can be more demanding to clean. A great advantage of the implant-supported crown over bridge-work to replace a single missing tooth is that the teeth on each side of the gap do not need to be prepared by your dentist. However; it is always up to your dentist to recommend one treatment or another. There may be some occasions and considerations where a fixed tooth-supported bridge is preferable to an implant-supported crown.

A single-tooth partial denture needs to be removed to be cleaned and you should never consider this a long-term solution for a single missing tooth. Most patients’ say that an implant-supported crown ‘feels, looks and behaves’ just like a natural tooth, but it is always your dentist who knows what is best for you.

An implant is placed in the bone to replace the missing tooth root and either an implant-supported plastic temporary crown or (in the non-aesthetic zone) a healing abutment (a metal cylinder) is attached to the implant to help shape the gum for the new tooth. Sometimes a small single tooth temporary removable prosthesis is provided to maintain appearances during the healing period. A soft diet and special attention to cleaning the site is recommended for 6-8 weeks to encourage healing.

It will take between 8- 16 weeks for the implant to heal (‘osseointegrate’) depending on each individual case. If bone or soft tissue grafting is required the healing time is longer before the final crown can be placed. In most cases the final ceramic crown can be placed on the implant after 2 or 3 months.

If at the time of implant placement there is a less than an optimal situation, perhaps an unexpected or expected bone defect requiring repair or poor quality bone resulting in lack of initial stability of the implant, then the implant is still usually placed but it is ‘buried’ under the gum with a protective cover screw on top and left undisturbed to osseointegrate.

Consequently, a temporary crown or healing abutment cannot be placed at this time. They can be placed following a suitable healing period. A very simple ‘second stage’ procedure is required to place the healing abutment or temporary crown at a later date and this is usually carried out with local anaesthetic only.